Shoe holder



May 29, 1951 R. A. AURIN SHOE HOLDER Filed Aug. 51,1946

IN VEN TOR.

zzwrza a dam? Patented May 29, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE j U SHOE HOLDER I Raymond A. Aurin, Western Springs, Ill. Application August a1, 1946, Serial No. 694,190

The invention pertains to shoe holders which may be used for shoe display and other purposes but which are more frequently used to hold shoes, slippers and the like against :a closet or chest wall so as to be out of the way of other articles and off the floor. The invention is of such character that its usefulness is not limited to the support of shoes and the like for many other articles may be hung thereon or supported thereby.

One of the importantobjects of the invention is to provide, a simple and economical device which-may be made easily as: by a stamping or forming process and yet will be strong and serviceable over a long and usefullife.

Another object, of course, is to provide a device of the character mentioned so constructed that it may be easily utilized for its purposes andand uses of the invention will be understood and appreciated upon reading the following description and claims and after viewing the several figures of the drawing in which:

jFig. 1 is a side edge elevation of a preferred form of the shoe holder, illustrating one manner in which a shoe (in dotted outline) may be supported or carried by the holder.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of'the holder of Fig. 1", as the same appears when not'in use, and

Fig. 3 is a view in section taken substantially along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

The holder illustrated is composed of two sheet metal stampings hinged together at a top portion of each. One stamping, termed herein the back plate, is generally designated 2, while the other stamping, which may be termed the front plate or shoe holding member, is generally designated 3. Back plate 2, which may be of any desired or ornamental shape such as that shown, is provided with one, two or more screw or nail holes 4 by which it may be secured to a wall, door or the 1ike,.an upwardly projecting tongue portion 6, a ledge or forwardly and downwardly directed marginal portion 1 at and along the bottom edge, and embossed portions 8 and 9. The side edges may be turned forward as shown at lfl, or, if desired, they may be turned backward or beaded. The embossed portions 8 and 9 and the forwardly turned edge portions 1 and I add strength to the back plate and portion 1 performs a shoe sup- 4 Claims. (o1. 211-35 porting and positioningfunction as will become apparent hereinafter. V

The stamping forming the shoe holdingplate or member 3 has a central stem l I which is .arcuate in horizontal section, a pair of projections or arms i2 which are arcuate in horizontal section and extend laterally and upwardly from the lower or depending free end of the stem H and which are also directed rearwardly out of the general plane of the stem, and a fiat upper end portion I3 having a horizontal slot [4 adjacent to but spaced a short distance from its upper edge. The spacing of slot Hi from the upper edge provides a narrow strip l5 which serves as a hinge pintle about which the tongue portion 6 of the back plate is curled and passed through slot I4 there to engage or abut againstitself. This arrangement provides a simple but effective hinge, generally designated l5, so that the shoe holding plate or member 3 may be swung through an arc of approximately if desired. When the shoe holder is not in use, the holding plate 3 assumes the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 with the top edges of arms I2 contacting and resting against the front face of the back plate 2.

Struck up (forwardly) from the ledge or marginal portion 1 at each side of center and at appropriately spaced places to engage the sides of a shoe heel, are embossed ridges ll of arcuate shape. These ridges serve to direct a shoe heel, and therefore the shoe, into and 'to hold the shoe in a predetermined position. However, such directing or guiding means are not always necessary or desirable and may be'omitted. For the purpose of engaging, supporting and directing the heels of a pair of 10W heeled shoes, it may be des rable to replace each of the embossed ridges 8 with a depressed (relative to the front face of the back plate) area or with a partially depressed and partially raised area or with a wholly raised area (none shown) of a shape generally conforming to the rear surface portions of the shoe heels. Thus the holder may be used either for womens high \heeled shoes or for mens or womens low heeled shoes.

When the shoe holder is to serve its purpose, the back plate is secured to a suitable support with the hinge l5 uppermost. A pair of shoes may then be hung on arms l2, either by inserting the arms in the shoes with the heels up and toes down, as illustrated, or vice versa. If the shoes are positioned as shown the upper edges of arms l2 engage with the inner surfaces of the heel counters of the shoes while the treads of the heels contact and rest upon the ledge 1 of the back plate or in the higher depressions or projecting ledges, if the construction is of a type such as that described in the immediately preceding paragraph. When the shoes are inverted from the position shown, the arms I2 lie within the toes of the shoes and the shoe soles contact the edge of ledge I. In either case the shoes are held away from the wall or other object to which the shoe holder is secured and cannot mar such surface or object, but at the same time the shoes are firmly and securely held ready for immediate removal when desired.

Although I have illustrated and described only one preferred form of the invention it will. be apparent that the invention may take many other forms and that wide variation and changes may be made in the construction shown, without departing from the invention spirit and while falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A shoe holder comprising, a sheet. metal back plate adapted to be secured to a supporting structure, a forwardly and downwardly inclined ledge carried bysaid back plate for engagin a portion of a shoe for directing the shoe outwar 1y away from the back plate, a sheet metal member hinged to a top portion of the back plate and adapted to depend over the forward face of said back plate, and a pair of spaced arms carried by said member for insertion of an arm within each of apair of shoes for, simultaneously supporting both of the shoes in a. substantiallyvertical and depending manner.

2. A shoe-holder comprising, a backing memberadapted to be secured-to a supporting structure, a shoe supporting member having a pivoted connection with an upper portion of said backing member for swinging movement in a relatively vertical direction with respect to the supporting; member and having a portion normally depending, over the front face of the backing member, a pair of arms carried by-said supportingmember with one arm at each side of said depending portion for entry into each of a pair of shoes, said arms being spaced apart a distance suificient to permit both shoes to be simultaneously supported thereby in a substantially vertical and freely depending manner, and an inclined ledge carried by said backing member for contactingan external portion of a shoe carried by said supporting member for disposing the shoe in predetermined relation with respect to the backing member.

3. A shoe holder comprising, a backing member adapted to be secured to a supporting structure, a shoe supporting member pivotally carried by an upper portion of said backing member for swinging movement about a substantially horizontal axis and having a portion depending over the front face of said backing member, a pair of spaced arms projecting laterally and upwardly from said depending portion of said supporting member for entry of an arm into each of a pair of shoes, said-arms being spaced apart a distance sufficient to permit both shoes to be simultaneously supported thereby in a substantially vertical and freely depending manner, and a shoe positioning ledge projecting from the backing member.

4. A shoe holder comprising a sheet metal plate adapted to be secured to a support and having a lower portion formed to project forwardly and with a downward inclination from the support, and a sheet metalmemberhinged to. said plate on. a substantially horizontal axis at a place substantially abovesaid forwardly projecting portion and depending from said hinged place over a medial part of said plate, said member having a. projection at each side thereof with each projection adapted to enter and support one of a pair of shoes, said projections being laterally spaced apart a distance sufiicient to' permit both shoes to be simultaneously supported thereby in a substantially vertical and freely depending manner.

RAYMOND A. AURIN;

REFERENCES CITED The. following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

